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On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the great day, Jesus took a stand in the temple courtyard and shouted aloud, Whoever is thirsty, Let him come to me and drink! Brothers and sisters in Christ, (Drink from glass) when was the last time you were thirsty? (Drink) I mean, really thirsty? (Drink) Thirsty down to your soul? (Drink)   Is that why you are here today? Millions of people right now are longing for drugs or alcohol. They ... are thirsty .  Married and unmarried people are lusting for more. They ... are thirsty .  Millions are betting that science will protect them. They ... are thirsty .  Many seek bigger farms, better livestock, better crops. They long for a better living, a better life, a better house, a better spouse ... the bigger, the better. They’re so thirsty they would soak up Truman Lake and still be the Mojave Desert.  Are you this thirsty? Would you admit it, if you knew you were? Spiritually, there are many people who are parched....

The God of all grace, the one who called you into his eternal glory in Christ, having suffered a little himself, will restore, establish, strengthen, make you steadfast. To him be the power into the ages of ages. Amen. It’s great to be a Christian!  It’s great to be a Christian because Our Lord has elected us, sanctified us, caused us to be born again to a living hope that is uncorruptible, unfading, and unstained, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed.  It’s great to be a Christian because Our Lord has given us a great promise ... that he will always be with us ... that he will never leave us or forsake us ... that he will make us holy because he is holy ... and will unite himself with us here on earth and ultimately into the eternal life in his paradise.  It’s great to be a Christian because our Lord has included us in his great mission to bring all people to the knowledge of the truth that there ...

It’s not fair! You’ve heard and said that too many times in your life, haven’t you?  It’s not fair!  If there’s one thing that never has to be taught in life, it’s the concept of fairness. We learn this as children. We insist that people play by the rules, Otherwise, they will lie, cheat, steal, and backstab. And that’s not fair.  Our 21st century culture orbits around our differing notions of fairness. If you listen to the news or social media, I am sure we can all say there’s not one of us who hasn’t complained about something being unfair. We chalk it up to so-and-so being related to the boss, or that they’re deemed special because of their race, gender, or financial status. We chalk it up to so-and-so having an axe to grind.  Or we just say, well, that’s all “politics.”  It’s not fair!  For some, that means everyone gets an equal share. That’s fair! Right? No one gets more or less than anyone else. But then, surely we recognize that it’s also fair if ev...

Hello! My name is Jerry, and I’m recovering from an identity crisis.  For a half century now, people have been calling me Jerry. But that’s not my real name. William Gerald Smith Junior. That’s me. By the way, that’s Gerald with a G. I’m Jerry with a J.  Mom and Dad had planned to name me Michael. But surprise! I was born on Dad’s birthday. So they appropriately stuck me with the Junior tag, and called my younger brother Michael. They couldn’t call me Bill, because that’s what everyone called Dad. But I did go by Bill for three years in high school. I suppose they could have called me Will, but, as it turns out, that’s what everyone outside the family calls my son. We call him Aaron though.  So how do I come by Jerry? Because Grandma wanted to call Dad Jerry. Alas, after Dad was born, her brother was holding Dad and declared, “This boy’s not a Jerry; he’s a Bill.”  So there you have it ... an identity crisis. Now, I gotta ask, do you know who you are? I do.  Nei...